1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a poker game suitable for use in casinos and other gaming establishments as a casino table card game. The invention further relates to casino table gaming wherein the player chooses to play an initial partial hand as either a 5-, 6-, or 7-card stud game.
2. Background of the Art
Games based upon variations of poker have attained enormous popularity as casino-type entertainment games, particularly in the last twenty years. The success of poker games in the gaming industry is partially based on the game's simplicity (i.e., there is widespread public knowledge of the game rules) and the fact that players feel more directly involved in exercising judgment in the play of the game.
Traditional poker as played in card rooms and casinos allow players to compete head to head against other players. The casino typically charges a fee or vigorish for the privilege to play at the table, and so is one of the rare wagering games in which the casino does not have a built-in percentage advantage per game.
Many new approaches to poker have been developed for casino table games that can be played on a blackjack-like table, in which the players compete against the house or against a paytable, and in which the house has an edge or percentage advantage. These poker variations now rival the popularity of blackjack in many venues. Let It Ride™ poker, one of the first variants to gain popularity, is a version of 5-card stud played against a paytable that requires a three-part bet, and allows the withdrawal of up to two parts of the total bet after viewing certain cards. The downside of the game for the player is that simple strategy rules determine whether the player should withdraw part of the wager, so there is a lack of involvement and risk-taking decisions that typify the casino poker player.
Caribbean Stud Poker™ is also a 5-card stud game, but is played against the dealer's qualified hand and a paytable. The dealer must have a specified minimum hand to qualify, so that there is consternation for the player who holds a premium hand and is not allowed to capitalize on it. An optional side bet can be placed to qualify for a progressive jackpot, but the high casino advantage on this wager may discourage the player.
Three Card Poker™ is actually two games in one. Both games are based on hands consisting of three cards and the player may bet on either one, both, and in different amounts. Play begins with a wager on ante. After the player views his three cards he may either raise by putting an equal bet on play or fold and lose the ante bet. If the player does raise then he goes against the dealer's hand. The dealer needs at least a queen high to qualify. The Pair Plus wager is a simple side bet in which the player gets the three cards and is paid according to their value. The dealer's hand is immaterial. There is no raising and no discarding. Dealer qualification can be problematic in this poker variation as in Caribbean Stud, and the Pair Plus wager in fact requires no skill of any kind and so does not excite the decision-making player.
Four Card Poker® is akin to Three Card Poker® games, but as the name signifies, four cards are used instead of three. Other key differences are that there is no dealer qualifying hand, and the player can raise up to three times his ante. The dealer gets one extra card to form his best hand. The object of the game is for the player to form a four-card poker hand higher than, or equal in rank to the dealer's hand. Players use their best four of five cards dealt against the dealer's best four of six cards. However, players may have the perception that the dealer always has the upper hand, since the dealer gets the additional card.
3-5-7 Poker™ is a simple poker-based game that is actually a three-games-in-one wherein the player bets on both 3-card and 5-card hands, and may also bet on a 7-card poker hand, with payoffs set by a standard pay table. Since the 7-card hand usually has the lowest house advantage, all three games should generally be played. Unfortunately for the player, a poor 3-card hand will more likely determine poor 5- and 7-card hands, so the player may have almost no positive anticipation and end up losing all three hands.
There is a need to address these cited shortcomings and to provide alternative games so that the player is offered a quick and compelling poker table game that does not require dealer qualification and allows the player a decision-making process that encourages the player to play at a comfortable risk level.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,569,014 (Walker) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,839 (Walker) each disclose a method for playing draw poker wherein an initial hand is dealt, the player selecting to hold certain cards and discard others, if any, replacing the discards with replacement cards, and determining a payout on the resultant hand based on a ranking of the final hand and the number of cards drawn.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,074 (Moody); U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,883 (Hachquet); U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,985 (Moody); U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,568 (Hachquet); U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,066 (Moody); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,873 (Moody) each disclose a method for playing multiple hands of draw poker wherein an initial hand of cards is dealt, the player selecting none, one or more of the cards to be held, replacing the discards with replacement cards, and evaluating the resultant hand or hands for winning combinations.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,898 (Moody) discloses a method wherein the player is provided with the opportunity to increase or decrease the wager on multiple stud hands after the partial hands are shown and before the final hands are completed. Each partial hand contains the same cards, and the player does not choose a particular partial hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,068 (Sklansky) teaches a method of concurrent multiple communal card poker games wherein the player selects an initial partial hand which is then added to each of a plurality of communal-card flops, each communal-card flop corresponding to the number of poker games to be concurrently played. A plurality of remaining resulting poker hands are also derived, one for each combination of non-selected partial starting hands and each of the communal-cards flops.
The participant's resulting poker hands are compared to the remaining resulting poker hands to determine any winning hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,144 (Kadlic) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,271 (Kadlic) teach a method of providing multiple hands of poker, each being dealt with two cards face up and three cards face down. The player chooses an initial partial hand, which is then duplicated into each of the other hands. The remaining face-down cards in each hand are then revealed, and the player may then discard and draw replacement cards to final hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,613 (Yoseloff) discloses a method which provides a partial hand which can be played as at least two distinctive games of poker, the nature of the at least two games requiring decisions to be made where a decision with regard to an election of play strategy in one poker game that is intended to have or assist in getting a positive outcome is likely to have a negative effect or comprises an adverse strategy in the play of the second game.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,882 (Kadlic) teaches a method of providing multiple hands of poker, each being dealt with two cards face up and three cards face down. The player chooses an initial partial hand, the remaining face down cards in that hand are then revealed, and the player may then discard and draw replacement cards in that hand to provide for a final hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,311 (Williams) discloses a multiple play method wherein two cards are dealt face up and are the community cards that are common to each hand. The remaining three cards for each hand are dealt face down. The player may discard none, one or both of the face up community cards and receives replacement cards for the discarded cards, if any. The player may double his wager before or after the draw step. The face down cards are revealed, and final hands are evaluated for pays.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,731 (Feola) discloses a casino game based on a selected card game in which a player wagers on one or more of a group of hands, and where the chances of winning are not enhanced by the skills of the player and no discretion in the selection of cards is vested in either the player or dealer. A number of stud poker hands are dealt as lines on a playing surface and players wager as to which hand will win. Winning wagers are paid a multiple of the wager, or optionally, the multiple is based on the odds of obtaining the particular winning combination.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,525 (Breeding) teaches a method of playing a wagering game with built in probability variations wherein the player makes an initial bet to participate in a base game. Prior to the play of the game, the dealer displays at least one additional card from the deck. After viewing this card or cards, the player is given the opportunity to place an additional wager which would qualify the player for an additional winning.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,137 (Fulton) describes a method wherein an electronic, poker-type game provides a player with an opportunity to increase the amount wagered, and therefore to increase a winning payout, even after the player has received a definite indication that the player has won.
U.S. patent application No. 20050040601 (Yoseloff) discloses a multi-player automated casino table card game platform enabling the play of casino table poker-type games according to rules effected through a processor. Rules may include games similar to Let It Ride® stud poker such as playing a wagering game comprising a player placing a wager comprising at least two distinct parts and providing to the player at least a portion of the player's game elements so that partial information or a game outcome is provided; giving the player at least one opportunity, before the player's final game outcome is determined, to withdraw from engagement in the game at least one part of said at least two parts, but less than all of said at least two parts, and continuing play of the game with additional portions of the player's game elements being displayed to the player.
U.S. patent application No. 20040113363 (Moody) discloses a method of play wherein one of the player's wagers is allocated to a full hand of cards and the other wagers are allocated among poker hands that are comprised of various subsets of the full hand.
U.S. patent application No. 20030162424 (Berman) teaches a method of concurrent multiple communal card poker games wherein the player selects an initial partial hand which is then added to each of a plurality of communal-card flops, each communal-card flop corresponding to the number of poker games to be concurrently played. Each of the resulting poker hands for the participant is compared to a pay table to determine corresponding payouts.
U.S. patent application No. 20030119572 (Moody) teaches a method wherein a player makes a wager to play multiple hands of a stud poker game. A plurality of initial partial hands is displayed to the player. Each initial partial hand has the same cards with the cards displayed face up to the player. Each hand is then completed as a stud poker final hand. The player wins or loses depending on the poker hand ranking of each final hand. If the player achieves two or more final hands of the same poker hand ranking, the amount won by the player is increased, preferably as multiples of the original payout amounts.
U.S. patent application No. 20030069055 (Moody) teaches a method wherein one hand of four cards is dealt. The player selects cards from the first hand as cards to be held which are reused from the first hand into all of the other hands. Replacement cards for the non-selected cards are dealt into the first hand and an additional card is dealt so that the first hand has five cards. Additional cards are also dealt to all of the other hands so that each hand is a five card hand. The poker hand ranking of each hand is determined. The player is then paid for any winning poker hands based on a pay table and the amount of the player's wager.
It is an ever-increasing challenge to provide players with new and enticing game play features that will stimulate player interest and increase time at the table.